By midsummer, the structure that underpins a terraced vegetable garden disappears as it is overrun by exuberant plants. It's like being on a stair-step machine sometimes but you get used to it, which may be one of the reasons why living in the mountains...
The legumes germinate best while the soil is still warm, so they are usually planted in September. I like to restore my haggard tomato patch with a cover crop of mustard , which can reduce disease carry-over when it is quickly chopped up and turned under.
As summer loosens its hold and autumn looms ever closer, many nervous gardeners may be wondering: ‘Will my fruiting vegetables ripen in time?' This is a reasonable question to ask as the weather takes an inevitable turn for the worse.
Water-stressed plants quickly slow down. And if you're heading away from home for more than a week, encourage your neighbors to harvest them – they'll get free food and you'll come home to continued pickings! Keep picking to keep the harvests coming...
Horticultural fleece can also be used. No food gardener's armory is complete without a length of fine mesh netting. With no predators and no existing pests, this creates a gap in your garden's ecosystem for other pests to surge in unchecked, meaning you...
Mint can be used to help deter flea beetles. Savoy cabbages are exceptionally hardy Where to Grow Cabbage Many cabbage varieties are incredibly hardy and will tolerate below-freezing temperatures.
Here are a few ideas to help you make the most of your garden while the weather's still clement – or ways to improve it for next summer! Make an area for relaxing in the garden where you can enjoy the results of all your hard work! The Perfect Place...
Asian radishes grow slower than little salad radishes, so they are best planted about eight weeks before your first frost date. Some of the newest daikons are purple rather than white or green.
Hang herbs upside down in a warm, dry and airy place. Simmer until thick (this should take anywhere from one to three hours) then decant into sterilized jars. Dehydrators are a joy.
Napobrassica ) include swedes, winter turnips, yellow turnips, Swedish turnips, Russian turnips, Canadian turnips, and neeps. The largest rutabaga I've ever grown got mixed up with the Brussels sprouts and enjoyed plenty of elbow room.
Scrape out the seeds from ripe chili peppers then dry them before storing Saving Pepper & Tomato Seeds The seeds of tomatoes and peppers are ready when the fruits themselves are good for eating.
Make pruning cuts to an upward-facing bud to prevent branches from drooping too much when heavy with fruit Some plum varieties, like ‘Victoria', tend to grow branches that spread outwards horizontally.
Lay them out onto your trays and set them to dry. Storing Dried Chili Peppers Dried chili peppers can be stored in any airtight container. If you don't have a dehydrator you can simply dry your fruits by threading them onto lengths of fishing line or...
Allow plants to soak up the water they need to avoid wastage Use a Timer An automatic irrigation system, connected to a timer, will take the strain out of watering. Some can even be fitted to water barrels, so you can make the most of any rainwater you've...
Plant some seed potatoes in late summer and you could be enjoying a bonanza of earthy nuggets from late autumn right through to Christmas. You can save your own seed potatoes for second cropping by keeping some of your spring seeds back.
But thinning further can help trees to stay in good shape and produce a more useful crop. The fruits left to grow on will enjoy more airflow, sunlight and energy from the tree for even ripening.
Spray at a cooler time of the day and follow up with one or two more sprays a few days later. And if that's not enough, honeydew can attract diseases such as black sooty moulds on plants already weakened by the whiteflies' persistent sap sucking.
Feeding Not normally required. Position Full sun. Planting and Harvesting Calendar < Back to All Plants Pests which Affect Shallots Aphids (General) Slug Snail Plant Diseases which Affect Shallots Allium White Rot Onion Downy Mildew
Populations quickly build, and the beetles further damage plants by feeding on flower and transmitting a disease called bacterial wilt, which causes plants to wilt and die. Damage: Striped cucumber beetles emerge in late spring and immediately begin feeding...
Harvesting Cut back borage plants by half their size in midsummer to encourage reblooming. Notes Borage seedlings are only edible when very young. Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Any average, well drained soil.
They lay eggs at the base of onion plants, and the larvae tunnel into onion roots. Be sure to get covers installed early, before the newly emerged adults fly in search of host plants.
Often planted with low, mound-forming herbs and flowers. Position Full sun to partial afternoon shade. Feeding Not generally needed. Dried valerian roots are used to make a bedtime tea that promotes sleep.
Companions Squash, Tomato and Beans. Frost tolerant A cold-hardy perennial, lemon balm can survive temperatures to -20F (-30C). Planting and Harvesting Calendar < Back to All Plants Pests which Affect Lemon Balm Aphids (General) Slug Snail
Companions Daylily, Catnip, Bells of Ireland and Salvia. Allow 4in (10cm) between bulbs of miniature tulips, and 6in (15cm) between taller varieties. Fertilize established clumps with a balanced organic fertilizer in the fall.
Companions Thyme and Osteospermum. Position Full sun to partial shade. Feeding Mix a light application of a balanced organic fertilizer into the soil prior to planting. Harvesting Snip off spent blossoms to keep plants looking neat, and to prolong flowering.
Spacing Single Plants: 1' 7" (50cm) each way (minimum) Rows: 1' 5" (45cm) with 1' 11" (60cm) row gap (minimum) Sow and Plant Start seedlings indoors or start with purchased plants.
Companions Onion, Onions and Radish. Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area. Feeding Not required. Notes Thin seedlings to proper spacing when they are 4 inches tall.
